Talking Tactics: Harper must learn from Fabregas

During Arsene Wenger's 10-year reign at Arsenal he has improved the technical capabilities of his team beyond recognition. They play with imagination, creativity and intelligence, making them the most exciting team to watch in the Premiership.

Key to this transformation has been Wenger's ability to eliminate the fear from within his players and his excellent coaching philosophy.

Yet, just as important, has been his recognition that foreign players have better technical capabilities than their English counterparts, hence his mainly overseas recruitment policy.

Today brings into direct opposition two players who play similar roles for their respective teams but have been differently viewed by Wenger. Cesc Fabregas was brought over from Spain as a 15-year-old and has shown a level of passing, ball manipulation and awareness that most English players can only dream of. He has also added more penetrative runs to his game and as he gets stronger he will score more goals.

James Harper, although a very good player, started at Arsenal but never played in the first team and was released by Wenger because he didn't have the technical components to be an Arsenal regular.

So where does Harper fall short of Fabregas in technical and tactical capabilities? If I were to compare Harper's style with a player of my generation it would be Osvaldo Ardiles. He had tremendous fitness, the ability to twist and turn with the ball and he kept it moving quickly and efficiently.

He was also good at finding space and could play around pressure. You were never able to get close to him because despite being small, he used his body brilliantly. Harper possesses some of those same attributes but there are areas where he could improve and become more expansive:

• When he plays to full-backs or wide players, he supports too closely and this limits his passing option when he gets the return. He does this because he doesn't like standing still when receiving the ball, fearful of being caught in possession.

• He must work harder for his space against tight marking by either running away from the ball to come short, or come towards the ball before running forward.

• He doesn't always look over his shoulder before receiving the ball, which means he doesn't turn with the ball as often as he could. This limits his forward passing options and can make him look negative.

• Due to Reading's policy of safety-first football, he does not manipulate or change direction with the ball enough. The best players are so confident of their ability that they will take longer on the ball if it means finding a more penetrative pass. If they are then pressurised, they manipulate the ball away from the challenge. Harper needs to make more use of his ability by being confident that the ball will not be taken off him.

• To influence games and become a constant threat he needs to play beyond his opponent and then receive the return pass behind him. Again he just needs to take that extra risk to entice his marker in, before playing one-two's around him.

Fabregas does all these things with ease but his best attribute is his decision-making. Invariably he will play the best pass available to him in any given situation.

He plays with such maturity and composure for a player so young and although not a fantastic athlete he is in constant support of the player on the ball.

So why can we not produce young players in this country with these qualities? Apart from the fact that the academies are not good enough and the coach education is uninspiring, managers like Adrian Boothroyd of Watford are hailed as leading lights.

I am astonished at the way Watford's players are being asked to play. It is one dimensional, technically poor and robotic. If he is successful then English football will turn the clock back 20 years where low risk, methodical and unimaginative football will resurface. This was highlighted by their offside trap against Arsenal which was naive in its conception and flawed in its application.

Stewart Robson played for Arsenal and West Ham and is a Uefa 'A’ licence holder, educating coaches to develop elite players.